Marker and retriever unit



Feb. 4, 1969 w. o. CLARK MARKER AND RETRIEVER UNIT Filed May 20, 1966 INVENTOR.

W/LI. /AM 0. CLARK United States Patent 3,425,070 MARKER AND RETRIEVER UNIT William Oscar Clark, Fort Myers, Fla. (Hq. Sqd., 1608th ABG. Box 555, Charleston AFB, SAC. 29404) Filed May 20, 1966, Ser. No. 551,569 US. Cl. 9-9 Claims Int. Cl. B63b 21/52 ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A pressure responsive salvaging assembly for recovering submerged objects and particularly outboard motors, boats etc. in which a vented container includes a spring urged cover having a latch lever lockingly engagable with a depth-responsive catch normally projecting from the container and engaging the latch lever, and in which container is housed an attaching cable terminating in a V-shaped hook terminally connected to a marker line terminally connected to float means and a marker, the float means reacting against the cover when the container is submerged, and the cover being automatically opened whensubmerging occurs, and the marker line being detachable from the float means to permit a retrieving cable and ring to be guided to the V-shaped hook along the marker line and the ring engaged beneath the hook.

My invention is directed toward a buoy-type marker and retriever unit for sunken objects in water as for example outboard motors.

Accordingly it is an object of my invention to provide a new and improved marker and retriever unit which, when secured to an outboard motor, is automatically released should the motor accidently be dislodged from a boat and fall into deep or shallow water and provides means visible on the surface of the water for locating and retrieving the sunken motor.

Another object is to provide a new and improved marker and retriever unit of the character indicated which is durable, operates easily and efliciently and can be manufactured easily and inexpensively.

All of the foregoing and still further objects and advantages of my invention will now be explained with reference both to this specification and to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of my invention in use;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the buoy portion of my marker and retriever unit;

FIG, 3 is a perspective view of the main marker and retriever unit; and

FIG. 4 illustrates the process of using my invention to retrieve a sunken outboard motor.

Referring now to FIGS. 1-4, there is shown a hollow storage container having upper and lower bolts 12 extending through a side wall thereof and secured to the lower portion of an outboard motor 14. A lifting cable bridle 16 secured between these bolts 12 supports a U type end fitting 18 secured to one end of an attaching cable 20. Cable 20 at its other end is secured to a fitting 22 pivotally secured to the bottom of a lift hook 24. A guide marker line 26 is secured at one end to the hook portion 28 of hook 24 and at the other end to a swivel snap hook 30 engaging an eye 32 at the bottom end of a spring steel pennant staff 34. The other (upper) end carries a stiffened marker pennant 36 labelled with the name, address and other information of the user. Stafi 34, intermediate its ends, supports upper and lower spaced apart floats 38 and 40 formed for example of Styrofoam.

Container 10 has a side vented cover 42 spring loaded toward an open position at its bottom end 44 and having a top mounted catch lever 46 normally closed and fitting body of my into a top mounted aneroid compartment 48 in container 10. A sealed aneroid 50 in the compartment operates catch cover release 52 normally holding cover 42 closed. Container 10 has vents 54.

If motor 14 is accidentally sunk as for example becoming detached from a boat when in use upon the water, as the motor sinks, the increase in pressure causes aneroid 50 to open release 52, causing cover 42 to open. The buoy apparatus, previously stored in the container, then is released and rises to the surface to act as a marker. Line 26 then holds hook 24 in a vertical position. The buoy apparatus can then be approached by retriever boat 60. A heavy weighted ring 62 is then fitted on line 26 (by disconnecting and then reconnecting hook 30 to eye 32). Ring 62 is secured to one end of a retriever cable 64 operated by winch 66. Ring 62 then slides down on line 26 and engages hook portion 28 as shown in FIG. 4. By operating the winch, the sunken motor can be retrieved and lifted into the retriever boat for ultimate return to the owner.

A plurality of markers 25 are imprinted on the marker line 26 or cloth tape 21 and sewn on by stitching 23 at intervals (such as 20 feet apart) along the length of the line 26. The distance of each marker 21 from the container 10 is indicated such as by markings 25, whereby the depth at which a sunken motor 14 may be deter mined. When a motor is in the water, the line 26 may be pulled taut so that the marker nearest the surface may be read, thus providing an approximation of the depth of the motor and enabling the retrieving boat to know the length of retrieving cable 64 necessary to retrieve the motor.

It will also be recognized that this apparatus may be used to retrieve sunken boats or other equipment, as well as for motors as hereinbefore described.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A retrieving assembly for salvaging sunken objects comprising:

an externally vented, hollow container including means for anchoring said container to an object to be salvaged from beneath a body of water,

said container including a cover hinged along one edge and including spring means reacting against the cover and normally urging it away from said container,

said cover including a lateral catch lever having a portion juxtapositionable over a portion of said container,

said container including depth-actuated catch means including a catch normally extending through the portion of said container over which said catch lever is normally positioned and normally lockingly engaged therewith and for releasing said cover when the container is submerged;

an attaching cable anchored at one end to the means for anchoring the container to the object to be salvaged and including at the other end a V-ShQJPCd hook terminally connected thereto;

a marker line secured at one end to another end portion of said hook and terminating in terminal marker and float means,

said attaching cable, marker line and terminal marker and float means being normally stowed in said container and reacting against said cover when the container is submerged to assist said spring means in opening the cover,

the marker line permitting said object to be located below the surface of a body of water in which it is submerged and guiding a retrieving cable ring down to the V-shaped hook of the attaching cable and onto said hook.

2. The structure as claimed in claim 1 in which said means for anchoring said attaching cable to an object to be salvaged comprises a bridle element terminally secured to the inner surface of one wall of said container opposite the cover, said attaching cable including an end fitting connected to an intermediate portion of said bridle element.

3. The structure as claimed in claim 1 in which said depth-actuated catch means includes a separate compartment at one end of said container, said catch normally projecting through the end of said container at which said separate compartment is disposed.

4. The structure as claimed in claim 1 in which said marker line includes detachable coupling means connected References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,183,663 5/1916 Murray 9-9 1,300,553 4/1919 Bartlett 99 X 3,156,933 11/1964 Brooks 9-9 3,193,854 7/1965 Butka et a1. 9--9 TRYGVE M. BLIX, Primary Examiner. 

